Convertible motor vehicle



July 23, 1929. F. LUKESH 1,722,227

CONVERTIBLE MOTOR mucus Filed May 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l wmum ATTORNEY- a WITNESS;

y 23, 2,3 F. A. LUKESH 1322,22?

V CONVERTIBLE MOTORVVEHICLE Filed May 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

INVENTOR ATT O R N EY.

WITNESS;

Patented July 23, 1929 UNITED STATES 1,722,227 PATENT OFFICE.

FRED A. LUKESH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CONVERTIBLE MOTOR VEHICLE.

7 Application filed May 18, 1928. Serial No. 278,829.

ing of the top on the rear of the body and detracting from the appearance of the car, as well as becoming a source of trouble by collecting dust.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means whereby the rigid top of a motor vehicle may be moved as a whole, preferably by rolling contact of the base of the top and the upper part of the body of the vehicle, between an elevated forward po-- sition and a lowered rear position, the neat appearance of the car being maintained in both positions.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile with my invention applied thereto,

. the hood or top bein in the rear, lowered position and indicate in dot and dash lines in the forward elevated position.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the automobile and associated invention.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the top in lowered position.

. Figure 4 is a side elevation, part1 section, of the top in a forward, elevate position. 7

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 ly sectional.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the windshield, showing also the locking rod in separated relationthereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, an automobile represented 1n its entirety by the numeral 10 comprlses a body 11 having a rear end 12, a steering wheel is a fragmentary rear view, part-' 13 and adjacent thereto seating means 14. Sa1d rear end, asv at 15, may also have seatmg means therein, if desired. A windshield unit 16 forward of the seating means includes supporting posts 17 and a frame The top 19 comprises longitudinal L- V shaped spars 20 to which front and rear cross pieces 21, 22 are attached. Cross ribs 23 are carried by said spars and support the outer covering 24, a lining 25 being prov ded on the inside thereof. Appropriate window openings 26, 27 are provided in the side and rear walls of the top.

It will be noted that the forward part of the'spars 20 are horizontally disposed, and that their rear ends curve downwardly to conform approximately with the outline of the rear end 12 of the body. The forward ends of said spars are provided with eyes 28 to serve as a bearing for the rod 29 of a locking means 30. Rigid with the rod are a pair,

of locking dogs or catches 31 which are adapted to fit in a plropriate recess 32 in the frame of the win s ield, thereby providing means for locking the top on manipulation of handles 33, which are rigidly attached to the ends of the rod 29. It will be noted that the relative positions of the catches and handles are such as to insure an automatic grip of the former by the gravitational weight of the latter when said catches are in their grooves. Notches 34 in the windshield accommodate the spars 20.

Along each side of the rear body part 12 there are parallel portions'35 having therein longitudinal grooves 36 above channels 37 while a recess 38 is provided in each side of said part 12. Reduced portions 39'at the rear ends of the spars 20are adapted for movement in said grooves, while said channels accommodate rollers 41, the latter being 6 free to rotate on pins 42 fast within the bearings 40 in the ends of the s ars.

By moving either of the ban les 33 forwardly, an occupant of the car partially rotates the rod 29 and unlocks the catches, whereupon the front of the top may be raised slightly and said hood moved rearwardly to the lowered position, where the reduced portions 39.contact with the terminals 43 of the grooves 36. The'top zthen 'rest-s snugly on the body 12, with its side walls 44 fitting the respective recess 38.

With the top 19 in position above the seating means 14, the car may be termed a coup, and it isthought that it will be seen that, with said top lowered on the rear part .12 of the body, the car takes the form of a vention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my invention. limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:-

1. In an automobile body having a slidably mounted top, a wind shield having recesses therein, latch mechanism for detachably connectin the windshield and said top,

said latch mec amsm including a rod jour-' nalled transversely in said top, manipulatin members rigid with the ends of said r and locking dogs rigid with said rod for reception in said recesses.

2. In a vehicle body having a windshield provided with recesses in the frame thereof, a top slidably mounted upon said body for movement to a position into engagement with said windshield, a transverse rod 'ournalled in said top adjacent the forwar end thereof, hook catch members fixedly mounted on said rod for locking recegtion within said recesses, and manipulatin andle members fixed to opposite ends 0 said .rod and 85 accessible by an operator within the body by which said rod may be manually turned to move said hook catch members into and out of said recesses.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my 40 y si tare.

gm FRED A. LUKESH. 

